Red Velvet Cupcakes (GF) + Gluten-Free 101 {Giveaway}

Valentine’s Day may be in the rear view mirror, but we want to send love to someone very special to the Bob’s Red Mill family, Carol Fenster. Carol has written numerous books about getting started with a gluten free diet and how to enjoy it once you’ve gotten started. With 10 different books under her belt, Carol is our go-to gluten free expert! She has helped us develop some of our most popular gluten free baking mixes (including our newest Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix) and been a long-time friend of Bob and Charlee Moore.

Today we are celebrating the relaunch of Carol’s best-selling Gluten-Free 101: The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Easy Gluten-Free Cooking. This book has helped so many of our customers get started with their new gluten free lifestyle. We recommend it for anyone new to the gluten free diet because it is not just a cookbook. This book is full of essential information starting with the basics of who might need a gluten free diet, where to go for help with a diagnosis and how to be your own advocate. It covers the essential ingredients for gluten free baking with beautiful definitions for each. Carol shares her go-to flour blend and explains which proportions of flours and starches to use in different applications. She helps you stock your pantry and understand how to use the mysterious xanthan gum.

Add to this helpful information 175 tried and true gluten free recipes for everything from a healthy breakfast to a decadent dessert. Hamburger buns, crepes, bagels and other amazing gluten free creations join basic recipes that seem so simple until you remove the gluten like gravy and white sauce. This book is truly a must-have for the gluten free beginner.

[1] Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard nonstick (gray, not black) muffin with paper liners.

[2] In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour blend, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt until well blended.

[3] In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add the vanilla and food coloring to the water. With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-third of the flour mixture at a time alternating with the water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into each liner.

[4] Bake until the cupcakes are firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely. Frost and serve.